Story:Kings of Strife/Part 33
Part Thirty-Three “So tell me, what made you think this was anywhere close to a good idea?” “I told you that I would be taking my plans forward. This was a natural response to actions being taken by my enemies.” “Yes, but to dash right into the enemy country and literally broadcast your location and goals to the entire world? How is that anything besides suicidal?” “It was bold, boisterous, and impossible to overlook. Just what I wanted.” Vainia stood overlooking the view from the window in front of her. She and her companions were on the airship that had rescued them from the Inusian Communications Association headquarters, and from her position on the bridge of the small aircraft, she could see city of Empiria slowly getting smaller and smaller in the distance. “I thought your goal was to lay low for as long as possible, until you could reasonably take on Inusia.” Constantus Veit, Vainia’s sole and sovereign Knight, stood in front of the captain’s chair in the airship’s bridge. It was he who had commanded the airship to save Vainia, and he who held strict authority over the small crew of the small ship. In the atmosphere surrounding the airship, explosions and screams burst into constant existence. Despite the tense yet peaceful air of the bridge, there was a very real battle occurring around the airship as it attempted to escape Inusian airspace. “The situation has changed; so have my methods. There are more resources available to me now, and more ways the future can unfold. To predict, I must be unpredictable.” Vainia’s arms remained crossed and her expression serious. “Trust me, Sir Veit,” Baron Tasshon el Divrus pitched in, “None of us expected her actions, either.” Around Vainia sat the three members of the Revolutionary Council she had taken with her; War, Governance, and Foreign Affairs. “I’m disappointed in you the most, Tasshon,” Veit spat at the Baron who sat in the warm embrace of a blanket. “Not only did you allow this foolishness, but you failed to remain awake and diffuse the situation when you were needed. My training has been worthless, apparently,” stated the Knight. He was clad in black armor over red undergarments; his long red hair was pulled up and back into a bun of sorts that attempted to give some organization to the messy mane he sported. The Baron of War, stinging from his insult, lowered his head. “That’s quite enough, Constantus,” Vainia said with a look backwards. “Focus on getting us back to Shorekeep safely and you will have plenty of time to critique my methods.” The Knight scoffed at this and returned to his practice of yelling commands throughout the ship’s bridge, and these commands were replied to with yelps and replies from the Shorican men. “I didn’t know the Knight knew how to command airships,” Kamanus stated with a hint of a smile. He was the only Baron standing, and was leaning on the railing that overlook the aerial view, close to Vainia. Unlike her, he was facing the bridge and not the outside world. “There’s a lot you don’t know about him,” Vainia replied curtly. Kamanus gave her a silent look; she ignored it and continued to speak. “Out of all of you, I must give my thanks to Jütenas, especially,” the princess mentioned. She turned slightly and looked down upon the Baron of Foreign Affairs, who responded to her appraisal with a stunned gaze. “Despite the intense situation, you continued performing your job and made sure my message was delivered uninterrupted. You have my highest gratitude, my Baron.” The councilmember being spoken of simply lowered the brim of their hat and crossed their legs tighter. Jütenas sat the closest to Vainia, and now had to resist an urge to scoot closer and hug the short girl’s legs. “Thank you, my Queen. I try only for your sake.” “That’s not exactly fair, y’know,” Kamanus interjected. “Tasshon and I cleared the remnants of the enemies you didn’t kill, and the ones we couldn’t take on were way out of our league.” He appeared so flustered and angered at the slight against him that his reaction could have been seen as forged – comically over exaggerated, even. “And after Tasshon went down, I hope you really didn’t expect me to have any chance at fighting without getting slaughtered.” Tasshon looked up to Kamanus silently and with a face of slight confusion. His gaze was not reciprocated. Vainia replied calmly and with collected thoughts. “I have said all I will say on the subject; the matter is concluded.” She crossed her arms in front of her and stared out the expansive bridge window. Dangerously close to the speeding airship, a cloud of smoke drifted from a nearby explosion. Cannon fire and missile launches rocked the foundation of the relatively miniscule craft, and remaining standing on the wooden floors took some admirable balance. The explosion of surface-to-air missiles being fired brightened Vainia’s face as she spoke again. “Our savior – has he awoken yet? Go see for me, please, Tasshon.” The Baron of War grunted in accommodation and left the bridge with haste. “Lady Vainia,” Jütenas meekly probed after an extended moment of silence, “what exactly endeared you to this stranger so?” The princess tilted her head slightly, as if slightly confused by the phenomenon herself. “You’re right in suspecting it wasn’t simply out of the goodness of my heart. Rather, I have a use for him, if he can be convinced to perform it for me.” “A use…?” Kamanus’ brow furrowed in thought. “I wonder… What could you have to discuss with him?” At that moment, Tasshon returned to the bridge of the airship. Behind him walked Vik Hyusei – Vainia’s captive – on shaky legs. This was the first time that Vainia and the Barons looked at the man in full, and it was clear just how rugged his state was. From the few days he had gotten to train with Cidolas Teftah in their solitude, Vik had gone through a lot of battle training, and as a result, the clothes on his back – only the basic colored rags given to him as a recruit beneath Vainia’s rule in Shorekeep – were ravaged and barely clung to his muscular body. He had thrown on a provisionary outfit of black rags accentuated by the flowing strips of Vainia’s regiment, and on his wrists were handcuffs broken from his escape. Oddly, now that he was in Vainia’s captivity already, there were now two pairs of handcuffs around his hands, only one of which that actually bound his movements. “So he’s awake,” muttered Kamanus. “This should be interesting.” Vik looked at the small group standing at the railway from beneath his eyelashes. His gaze was steely, his hands clenched into tight, vein-decorated fists. Despite his safety from the hotbed of Inusian troops that Empiria had become, Vik couldn’t help but be stricken with indecisiveness, considering that his savior was Vainia Sestrum. She was doubly his only means of redemption and his sworn object of protection. With this in mind, he struggled between the two possible choices he could take in this situation, but decided on neither of them. The airship rocked with another blast of artillery fire. “Well,” grunted Vik. “I saved your life, you saved mine. Am I going free when we land, or what?” He already knew the answer to that question. Sure enough, Vainia responded with icy neutrality. “You already know the answer to that question, sir.” She looked at him with a hardened expression, but her eyes were not of particular bite. “You cannot be allowed to go free. Now that I have you in my grasp, you are either mine or oblivion’s. There is no messenger between two such forces of destruction.” Vik found himself chuckling. “For such a short little girl, you sure have a way for intimidation.” In that moment, Vik felt a shiver run through his body, and he involuntarily ducked into a protective, crouching position. Right in front of him stood Tasshon, his foot in roundhouse kick position, mere inches away from Vik’s face. The soldier’s hands were raised in front of him from reflex, but even so, his eyes were wide with surprise from the sudden movement. “Lady Vainia will be referred to with her proper respect,” growled Tasshon. The tall man had a face of completely serious concentration mixed splendidly with the visage of righteous fury; the look didn’t suit him. “That’s quite enough, my Baron,” Vainia stated with eyes closed and arms crossed. In response, Tasshon dropped his foot and stepped back behind his liege’s form. Vik stood, slowly, and with eyes still wide. “As you can see, there isn’t much of an option for you to resist me,” the woman stated as she opened her green eyes and stared at Vik with icy calculation. “So you think I can’t beat that guy?” Vik couldn’t help but smirk at his bold words. His statement was too foolhardy to be considered a fluke, considering everyone in attendance of the small-scale symposium probably knew just how exhausted he was merely from looking upon his face. “That’s beside the point,” Vainia dismissed. It was becoming more and more clear that she wasn’t in the mood to be bothering with petty talking and distractions. Her gaze returned to the window and the destruction beyond it. The skies were beginning to clear, but there were still a few airships trailing theirs. “I have a use for you, sir, but only if you agree to work for me and my kingdom.” “What if I said I’m already affiliated with another nation?” Vainia chuckled, but still kept her eyes focused on the skirmish in the atmosphere. “Although I would be curious as to which country you speak of, I would have to remind you of the two options that were given to you. There is no place in those for old loyalties.” “Old?” Without noticing it, Vik’s face became drawn and his shoulders tensed up. “I… I will always be loyal to my home. I could never betray my people… even if it meant I had to die.” Now Vainia looked over Vik with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes looked over his form and met his frost blue eyes for a full moment before replying. “By your complexion and features, I assume you hail from Nneoh. Is this correct?” Vik replied only with an agape mouth. “I take your silence as acceptance. How convenient, then, that my mission for you involves a return to Nneoh. But, if you would claim your loyalty, I suppose you can be put to death relatively quickly…” She looked away again without an ounce of remorse within her countenance. “Wait!” Vik cried. He dropped to his knees mere inches away from Vainia’s person, and raised his handcuffed hands up into the air in order to reach and plead to the queen in front of him. “What do you mean, go back to Nneoh? I’ll do it! Please, I… Reconsider. If it means I get to return, then I suppose I can abide…” “I need no simple abiding. I seek to change the world and rule over all of it. In order to do so, I need agents who are willing to die in the name of my causes. If you cannot claim that, there is no use for you beneath my command,” Vainia spat. Suddenly her visage of pleasant manipulation had shattered, replaced by a hard, unfeeling grimace of fact. “Can you claim that for me? Would you die for the name of Vainia Sestrum, and would you follow my command even if it meant you would be ripped into pieces?” Vik looked down and noticed his hands shaking. “I…” He hesitated once again, despite his mantra. This was no matter of personal courage or determination; this was a moral issue in a magnitude of which he had scarcely before experienced. In order to give up his loyalty – his honor – his country… he would effectively be giving up everything he had fought for so far. He would be giving up all those times Cidolas had met an awful death, just for this girl in front of him. Could he really do that? “Before you answer, look out this window,” Vainia stated. She could clearly sense Vik’s hesitation. In response to her command, the handcuffed soldier glanced up and out the clear glass around the airship’s bridge. At that very moment, a cloud of smoke cleared. For the most part, the airship had managed to escape its enemies, and the Inusian airships were distantly visible. Below and behind the airship that the group took residence on, many flaming wreckages of Inusian airships were crashing to the ground below. “What do you see behind us?” Vik didn’t quite know what she was getting at. “Uh… Inusian ships?” “That’s correct. Although their pursuit is relentless, we have escaped their clutches and will be returning to my nation of Shorica within a few hours. Our travel will not be completely safe, but I doubt we will be shot down.” “…Alright?” “Do you know why the Inusians attack us?” "Besides the fact that you, y’know, killed a couple of their soldiers? And took over an entire communications tower in order to broadcast some crazy message?” Vainia snorted. “Yes, besides these facts. It is because I have taken control of Shorica, and have pledged the rest of the world to follow.” She looked down to Vik with a smile. “Lofty, isn’t it?” “To say the least,” Vik stammered, still somewhat confused by the apparent change in Vainia’s mood. The young girl continued to speak. “Until I have defeated them all, Inusia and the rest of the world will band together to antagonize myself and those beneath me. I can see it now – they will contribute their unity to “a disturbing threat”, or some jargon like that, and all the world will believe that I am the great evil that forced nations of opposing goals to work together. Clever, isn’t it?” Vik could only look at Vainia with a mouth slightly agape as he struggled to follow along with what the girl said. Outside of her vision, the Barons listened to her spiel as well. Regardless, Vainia continued. “But I know the truth, and so does a slim part of the elite world. Deep within the shadows of the bureaucratic world, all nations have been allied in a group known as the World Government for years. Every country – including Nneoh. Even during the Nneonian Civil War… the World Government existed and conspired constantly.” Now Vik realized what was being said, and blanched. “Wait… What? How could such a thing exist during so terrible a conflict? What you’re saying makes no sense!” “No, it does make sense. The Nneonian Civil War was caused by rebels from the Galgrian region rising up against Nneoh’s increasingly imperialistic actions… or so the world is told. Truly, the conflict grew to such proportions and included Inusian forces simply because the World Government willed it. And when the war ended, the ruler of the new Galgrian nation became a member of the World Government. The war was only a plot created to expand the power of the World Summit.” Vik looked down with widened eyes as his body began to shake. “No… This can’t be…” His vision blacked out, and in the place of actual images, he saw dead bodies. Corpses everywhere. That was what he saw during the Nneonian Civil War – so many casualties. So many people he knew had died. So many lives had been ended. That, among other reasons, was the point of Vik becoming a Nneonian soldier in the first place. To protect his fellow people and his country, and to ensure such an awful disaster never happened again. But there was no way to prevent this, he now realized. Tears streamed from Vik’s face as he realized the true gravity of his situation. The country he fought and almost died for was a lie. The war that had changed him was created and perpetuated on purpose. His comrades had died on the whim of the Nneonian military and, to an extent, the World Government. Their lives had been destroyed on a whim, and he only now realized how foolish his long quest for redemption was. The moment he returned to Nneoh seeking redemption, he would be removed and quietly killed, just like so many others. And there was nothing he could do about it. Vainia could clearly see his pained mental state, and continued with a softer, more delicate voice. “The Government summit works as a unit, in order to change the world the way it sees fit. And chief among its interests are the Inusian representatives. Do you see yet? The World Government controls all the world, and would even cause terrible wars in order to further these interests. This is why I declared my war on the world. I will break down this despicable inner order, and in its anarchy I shall reign.” “Then… You want me to help you? I… I can’t do anything… I’m just a soldier without an army.” Tears fell freely and silently down Vik’s hard face and olive skin. The scar above his left eyebrow began to throb with his pain. Now, more than ever, he felt completely alone. There was no home for him to return to; no comrades to avenge; no cause to fight for. He had nothing. “I understand your plight, warrior. Trust me, you are not the only one whose nation and true ideals have been betrayed by the world. My home nation of Mortis has been subjugated by this summit for decades, and it is so weak that it has no choice but to smile and agree with its blatant poverty. Truthfully… That is why I began my crusade. My home is incredibly weak… So I shoulder its strength upon my shoulders. I will strike down all the world so that my people can rule and prosper.” Vainia turned from the blue skies in front of her and bent down in front of Vik, holding his face, pocked by stubble. She held his gaze with her own fiercely burning green eyes. “I hold all the strength of revolution in this world, and with my plans, I shall cripple all the forces opposing me. Will you trust me, soldier without a home? Will you fight and die for my cause and my world?” Now, for the first time in a long while, there was absolutely no hesitation or fear anywhere within Vik’s body. As he looked into Vainia’s eyes and heard her words, he felt only power. Power so enticing, so strong, he had no choice but to follow it. “Yes,” Vik said. “I will do as you ask of me.” A long moment of tense silence passed before Vainia stood up and dusted her hands off. “That is what I wanted to hear. Jütenas, please stand, if you will,” Vainia bid. The Baron of Foreign Affairs stood up with haste. “As it is relating to your title, I will have you accompany Sir Hyusei to the nation of Nneoh. You two will be visiting the High General Garland and his colleagues – Nneoh’s World Council representatives. I would have you two discuss the option of allying with my nation in future conflicts.” Vainia looked to Jütenas’ eyes with a hard, knowing gaze. “I expect you know of which I speak, my Baron?” Jütenas straightened their back slightly and thrust her hands into her pockets. “Of course, my Queen. I know entirely of your policies and goals, and what can be used as negotiations to achieve them. But… You would send me alone with Mr. Hyusei?” He tilted his hat up slightly in order to have eye contact with Vainia. “You will not meet resistance, and they Nneonians will not dare kill you for fear of my enmity. It would be in their best interests to comply with my requests and negotiate with you two, at least.” Vainia turned towards Vik, who had since stood up as well, and looked over the man with a soft gaze. “After we land in Shorekeep, I will have the two of you refreshed and sent on a fresh airship towards Nneoh. Your trip, I promise, will be short and painless. Will you be able to follow these plans? More detailed instructions will be provided later, of course.” Vik looked at his newly allied matriarch with hardened eyes. Within his heart, he still felt a strong stabbing pain that he doubted would leave him anytime soon; but he also had a strong wall of resistance in his heart, as well. This was his loyalty, his wish for a better world, and his sense of justice. These moral muscles would be stretched during this journey, and beneath Vainia’s guidance, something told the ex-soldier that they would flourish. He knew, without knowing, that Vainia would lead him to a promised land of friendship and prosperity. By following her, he would find and redeem Silverius, even if it meant giving up his own chances for redemption. And with Vainia’s strength, Cidolas no longer had to endure death after death. “Yes,” Vik stated simply. “I will do as you ask of me.” ***** Karilyn Red was once many things. She was once a driver for a Shorican manufacturing country, she remembered, as she drove her old truck down the rain-trodden country roads of the Shorican lands. She was a soldier in the Shorican army for a long couple of years, she remembered, as she looked back in her rear-view mirror and glimpsed her broadsword laying in the backseat, wrapped in canvas to protect its blade. Taking notice of the unusual shape of the blade, she remembered how she left the military after two years in its science department and developing experimental weapons, one of which she carried with her now. She was once a refugee and a fugitive, and after that, she returned to her hometown of Shorekeep and became a barkeep once her father died and the deed to the old inn was bequeathed to her. She had two older brothers, one that lived in squalor in Inusia and one who had died in battle during the Nneonian Civil War; she was the only choice to inherit the Red Inn. And she was once in love, she remembered, as she drove next to a forest of tall Shorican Oak trees. She was driving now, away from the destroyed and battered inn she had grown to love, away from the pleasant coast city she had known since childhood, only because she was once in love. She knew what it felt like to love another human, and how it felt to lose them. She had seen that look in his eyes, and had known the pain he was going through to not be with the one he loved. She had tried to give him something – someone – else to love, even at the cost of her own personal happiness, but there was no having it. At least, not yet. So Karilyn Red was driving, out of the life she had finally established after years of instability, because she knew what it felt like to be in love. She remembered the tumultuous times she had been through, and could feel once again the sting of loneliness. The pain of having nobody in the world that could understand and coax her through her problems. She was riding, searching, so that she could provide this service for her lost guest. To do so was simply an innkeeper’s duty. No guest could leave without receiving their due hospitality. Her guest stirred, and Karilyn remembered when she had fallen in battle. The warm caressing hands that had revived her… The thin nails that scratched her skin as they bandaged her… The long, flowing hair that had brushed against her when she was embraced… Her guest stirred again, and Karilyn was taken from her memories as he began to speak. “What…? I’m… alive? Where am I…?” “I’m just as surprised as you are, buddy,” Karilyn muttered. The guest looked to the driver’s seat from his station in the backseat, apparently shocked to see that there was someone driving him. Karilyn looked at his bewildered expression from her rear-view mirror and chortled. “Where is Crono,” Luther Vinahkman asked bluntly. He attempted to sit up, but soon winced in pain. “So he’s more important than your own well-being, huh,” Karilyn chortled once again. “Good to know. Well, even though you didn’t ask, there’s nothing to worry about on your part. You’re… surprisingly sturdy.” “If you mean my body,” Vinahkman stated as he looked down at his chest, “don’t be surprised. Between the Nneonian War and Crono… I’ve been through a lot.” Most of his exposed torso was cleanly plated or reinforced with aged steel plates. He had bandages from his collarbone down to his lower abdomen, but most of his remaining thorax was composed of prosthetic implants. They provided a cage of sorts for his insides; for instance, only one of his ribs were composed of bone. Luther looked up to the mirror that Karilyn glanced back at, smiling despite the hideousness of his cyborg-esque body and face. His injuries didn’t stem just from his chest; his face was also scarred terribly, so much so on his cheek that the skin had peeled off to show off a thin layer of metal beneath his pale exterior. “To be honest, I didn’t think you’d make it. Whatever it was Silverius did to you, it was savage. It looked like your arm was going to fall off, and he barely missed detaching your head. It’s a miracle that you lived.” “Wouldn’t be the first time,” Luther stated as he leaned back and raised his arms behind his head with a painful grimace. “So, where are we headed? And… why did you take me along?” “Well, I figured pretty soon after witnessing what happened that you weren’t an actual doctor. And by the way you kept moaning Silverius’ name even after he damn near killed you… There was no way you didn’t have some history together. It wouldn’t be right for me to leave you behind after witnessing that.” “…You’re right. We have a long history together. But you… How do you know Crono? And why are you going after him?” Karilyn looked through the dirty windshield of her truck at the cloudy skies in front of her. Far in the distance, clouds were gathering, and it appeared that a storm was headed for Shorica from the Inusian horizon. But here, where she was driving, only a light drizzle danced among the green Shorican pastures. Behind her was the coast, the sea sparkling with the rain’s light touch. A sad smile danced on Karilyn’s full lips, teased by just a strand of her loose red hair. Luther noticed her expression and let out a wise laugh. “I see… So it’s love, isn’t it? To be young…” Karilyn slightly shook her head. “No. It’s more than just that.” ***** “So they’ve taken off safely now?” Vainia asked. She was still in the clothes she had worn during her Empirian campaign, and her cape flowed behind her gracefully. Behind her walked Tasshon el Divrus, her Baron of War. Kamanus had gone off to meet with his informers as soon as the airship landed in Shorekeep; Jütenas had gone with Vik on their mission. “Yes, My Lady,” Tasshon confirmed. He walked behind her with a bowed head as the two navigated through the dark corridors of her Shorekeep-based castle. The residents of the city, of which a surprising amount had witnessed her speech on the newly rebuilt communication lines, had met Vainia with unimaginable praise and support. But Tasshon was concerned – in the face of all this hype, Vainia simply looked tired. “Good,” she stated. “We should have communication with them within the next day – do not let me forget, Tasshon.” Recently Vainia had been breeding a habit of having her Barons remind her of tasks or notes that she absolutely could not forget; it worked well, for the girl was busy enough on her own. “As you wish, My Lady.” “And Tasshon… Don’t feel bad. I don’t fault you for being hurt during the siege. My mission was accomplished nonetheless, and a new door has opened for me. Understand?” “…Yes, My Lady.” Tasshon couldn’t help but redden; Vainia rarely doled out praise or apologized for anything. Was this just a side effect of her exhaustion, or could it have been something more…? The tall Baron covered his mouth with his wrist at the thought. With this, the Queen and her Baron arrived at her trusty throne room. Having not been dismissed yet, Tasshon stood near the door on the inside of the room as Vainia waltzed to her throne. She collapsed on its egregiously designed seat, letting out a breath of relief as she melted within its unnatural embrace. Just as she looked up at the awkwardly standing Baron and opened her mouth to speak, two knocks rang on the wood of her room’s tall door. Vainia sighed, rubbing her temples and waving a dismissive hand at Tasshon. Understanding the command, the Baron wordlessly opened the massive entryway. In walked Razmid Arensten and Martessa di Sabine, Barons of Treasury and Governance, respectively. “We came as soon as we heard you arrived, Lady Vainia,” Martessa stated with a curtsy before moving closer to Vainia’s throne. “Congratulations on your success!” “Was there ever any doubt,” Vainia muttered with her eyes still closed. “How were things in my absence?” “Splendid,” Razmid interjected with a smile. “I’ve appointed seven new financial advisors, and with the infrastructure growth in the city at a new high, investments are blossoming, as well. Not to mention, just yesterday we re-opened the ports to the city, and let out a fresh set of trading barges. All outfitted in your name, of course. Our next payoff should be great.” For once, the dark-skinned youth seemed passionate about his job. “Not going to tell her how you’ve upped the tax by three percent across the board? Or how the vote had to be supervised by soldiers out of fear for a riot?” Martessa looked at Razmid with raised eyebrows. “W-well, that was to be expected. As a whole, we need the money if we are to effectively run the city well, and the amount of money I can anonymously route from my family’s storehouses in Inusia are finite… But the citizens might not see the entire picture, you see. It’s only natural that a rise in tax would bring about some displeasure, haha…” “…Right. Anyway, speaking of advisors, Lady Vaina, I’ve taken the liberty of installing various secretaries and representatives from the nearby regions of Shorekeep to my governing committee. Our diversity is growing, and so is our popularity. Of course, I’ve had to enact various laws in states of both martial and peaceful to bring stability to your rule, but for the most part, all of Shorica is responding to you with approval. However, there is still the matter of deciding how governors should be installed…” “They will be voted on and chosen by the citizens in their regions,” Vainia stated with a flick of her wrist. “All of the potential candidates will be investigated and confirmed to be loyal to my rule, of course, but they will not be chosen by myself or anyone under my direct administration. That kind of control was exactly what the Shoricans did not want.” “But, Lady Vainia… To set up voting processes, and to enact voting regulations, and to investigate candidates… It’s all too inefficient. Especially in the border lands, with Inusia’s predicted aggression…” “And,” Razmid added in, “All that sounds costly. I’ve got a lot of factories being built throughout the city, and as I said, those barges were sent out, but still…” “Enough of this foolishness,” Vainia stated with a loud sigh. “I have given my decision, and it will be abided by.” The two dissenting Barons nodded with hesitation. “Now, if you have nothing else to contest me with, I’d appreciate it if you left me. I need some time to think.” Reluctantly, the two Barons left with as much haste as they had when they entered. An awkward moment of silence held the throne room in captivity for a moment before Vainia exploded from her throne and started to saunter towards her desk. “I must apologize to them,” she stated to Tasshon as she passed by his unmoving form. “Do not let me forget.” “Yes, My Lady,” Tasshon replied simply. Vainia immediately sat down at her desk with a quiet yawn and, grabbing up a stray pen and paper, began to scribble. After a moment of scribing, she pushed off the various papers scattered on the wooden surface – nobody except her was allowed to touch her desk, and thus it went unclean – and began to draw on the map nailed to the hard surface of the map. She whispered to herself as she switched between writing on the map and the paper; this exchange continued for almost ten minutes unabated. Once that time passed, a knock rang through Vainia’s door again, followed by a hard metal rap. Both the Queen and her Baron looked up at the door with alarm at this signal, for they both knew it belonged only to Constantus Veit. Without a need for command, Tasshon went to the massive doors and opened them. In walked Veit in his red armor, followed by eight or so people in tan clothing and light silver cloaks. Once they were all inside, with the door closed behind them, Vainia stood from her desk and walked to her throne. “Veit…? What is the meaning of this?” She looked over every standing person behind Veit in turn. “How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t want to meet your new recruits or hear about your twisted methods?” “You wound me, My Queen,” Veit stated with a toothy smile. “These are no new recruits. They are the cavalry that will ride your glory to its final destinations. They are the horsemen who shall lead your armies into battle. They are your Eternal Corps.” Vainia sat back on her throne with an eyebrow raised and disinterest barely hidden in her disposition. “And what makes them so special?” “Under my command, and without my presence, they just came back from a successful defense of the Shorican border from Inusian advance scouts. Because of them, no invasion will be coming to our doorsteps anytime soon.” Beneath Constantus Veit’s praise, the newest Eternal Corps member – one Moritaka Posmos – smiled. His destiny was finally at hand. ...End of Part Thirty-Three. <- Previous Page - Corruption Arc | Main Page | Next Page->